Suzanne Gibson, NIADA, and The Virtual Doll Convention

Many artists turn to creating dolls because they are a fresh medium, something to take their art in another direction.  Artists who recognized the importance of the relationship between dolls and art founded the National Institute of American Doll Artists, NIADA, in 1963. Originally, four artists founded NIADA, Helen Bullard, Gertrude Florian, Magge Head, and Fawn Zeller. Today, there are over 60 members elected by their peers and member-patrons.  The purpose behind founding NIADA was to recognize the art behind original, hand made dolls.  Members hold annual get-togethers that include visiting doll makers and doll fans to share work and ideas with each other.  There is also a NIADA school for those who wish to learn doll making techniques from the artists of NIADA. The artists’ group also offers publications on artist dolls.  For more information about the annual conference and school, visit the NIADA website, www.niada.org.

 One of the Vinyl Kalico Kids, Tsagaris collection.

For many years, I was a pen pal of the late Suzanne Gibson, a NIADA artist known for her Kalico Kids and porcelain little girl series.   She was trained as a ballet dancer and was from Capitola, CA, not far from my family.  When I was nine my dad bought me one of the little girl dolls of porcelain from Knott’s Berry Farm.  The legend was that Gibson only made three dolls from each mold then broke it, though the dolls were clearly sisters.  They resembled each other closely.  My Dad used to say that his hand hurt from writing the check.  She is a lovely little girl with long lashes, long, strawberry blonde curls with pink ribbons, and a white eyelet dress and bloomers. Her shoes and stockings are also white.  There were other little girls, and Suzanne sent me a picture of one with dark curls and a pink dress.  She made vinyl dolls for several years with Reeves International, including a Mother Goose set in collaboration with Steiff.  The Kalico Kids were a departure, and based on her own childhood.  She sent me an autographed copy of her book about them at one point.

S. Gibson Holly by Reeves International via Public domain

When I went to a doll show, I would check on her dolls, if any.  I only found vinyl versions of the Kalico Kids and other dolls.   Currently, the Reeves dolls are a bargain on ebay.

Spinning Wheel's Complete Book of dolls features Gibson in an article; there is a great scion on doll artists in the book.  The NIADA sight is full of information, of course.  Many artists are past members of NIADA, and there are other groups, but notable artists include Debbie Ritter, Uneek Doll designs, R. John Wright, elinor peace bailey, Greg Ortiz and many BJD artists and designers. Glenda Rolle, featured in photos on this blog, does great sand babies and jewelry.

Teracotta doll bust by the author, c. 1988.

Spinning Wheel’s Complete Book of Dolls has a good article about her, and a good section on Doll artists.  Other books include Max von Boehn’s Dolls, Carl Fox’s The Doll,  Clara Hallard Fawcett’s books, Janet Pagter Johl’s and Eleanor St. George’s books that talk about Emma Clear, Helen Young’s The Complete Book of Doll Collecting, Edwina Ruggles’, The One Rose, Spinning Wheel’s Complete Book of Dolls, vol. I, Doll Reader Magazine, Doll Castle News, Kimport’s Doll Talk, Manfred Bachman’s Dolls, the Wide World Over, and Bernice’s Bambini.  Wonderful books by NIADA include   Krystyna Poray Goddu, ed., The Art of the Doll: Contemporary Work of the National Institute of American Doll Artists. NIADA, 1992, and other books by Goddu on the artists. NIADA serves many wonderful purposes in the world of dolls, but the artists remind us above all of the historical and artistic value of dolls for collectors and doll lovers of all ages.

R:  Dealer Laverne Koddy with a Jan McClean doll.

The author's Baby Dear, originally designed by Eloise Wilkin.
This version c. 1964,  and she wears a dress from her varied
wardrobe.  She is the author's favorite doll. 

Fairy with butterfly wings, artist made

Art doll by Joniak.

COD character doll, coinciding with movements in the Bauhaus Art
Movement and German Realism.

Older artists and designers include Joseph Kallus, Cameo Doll company and innovator of the modern vinyl Kewpie, Rose O' Neill, Grace Story Putnam, Grace Drayton, Grace Corey Rockwell, Johnny Gruelle, A. Marque, Picasso, Degas, Tony Sarg, and Bil Baird.

Other doll artists, some former NIADA members are Magge Head Kane, R. John Wright, Glenda Rolle [see her sand babies on this blog], R. Lane Herron, and Teri Long-Long Gone Dolls.  A. Marque and is an artist of the past that created dolls, as did DeWees Cochran, Madame Alexander, Dorothy Heizer and Emma Clear .  Peggy Jo Rosamund is an amazing paper doll artist.  Robin Woods did amazing work, and so did Anna Avigail Brahms.  The list goes on.

Bil Baird Puppet, photo the author

Dolls and art have gone hand in hand for centuries.  Even in prehistory, humans were creating small statues of women and an occasional man according to their standards of aesthetic beauty.  Artists used small articulated models or lay figures to create masterpieces of art.  A few artists like Marque, Picasso, and Degas,  either created dolls, or were inspired by dolls to create other works of art.  Many great artists, including Rembrandt, were collectors themselves. Leonardo da Vinci dabbled in creating automatons, along with other gadgets and machines.  Artists like Joseph Cornell and Jarvis Rockwell created works of art using dolls.  Norman Rockwell, father to Jarvis, painted them, as in his Doctor and Doll. The artistry of antique dolls influenced Pleasant Rowland’s American Girls.  Of course, sculptors and artists have always been involved in creating dolls for play and to collect. There are many non-NIADA books and magazines  about doll making including The Art Doll Quarterly.   Behind every Barbie, Kewpie, or Betsy Wetsy, there is an artist or sculptor working his or her particular doll magic.

Artist doll after the work of Ted de Grazia.  Author's collection.

Other great books abound on dolls and art, as well as videos of the Santa Fe Doll Art conventions. Just remember, behind every great doll, there is a great artist!  We will be featuring Helen Kish, George Stuart, Shelley Thornton and more at the June Virtual Doll Convention.

Pat Thompson, Vlasta Dolls. Author's Collection